Electrode of electrolytic apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

G. J. ATKINS. ELECTRODE 0P ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE JONES ATKINS, OF TOTTENHAM, ENGLAND.

ELECTRODE OF ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed November 22, 1904. Serial No. 233,852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J ONES ATKINS,

' a subject of the King of Great Britain,residing at Tottenham, in thecounty of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvementsin or Connected with the Poles or Electrodes of Electrolytic Apparatusand the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in or connected .with theelectrodes of electrolytic apparatus of the kind in which a troughlikevessel of wood or other suitable material is lined with carbon whichforms the anodeelectrode, the internal surface of such carbon lininghaving a semicylindrical form and in which a cylindricalcathode-electrode is placed concentrically with the semicylindricalsurface of the anode and is caused to rotate in the electrolytecontained therein. This rotating cathode is generally only immersed inthe electrolyte to the extent of about half its diameter or less, andtheoutput of any given apparatus is much less than if the cathode werewholly immersed in the electrolyte; but I have also found in practicalworking that in some cases the rotating cathode is liable to becomeoxidized by the alternate action upon its surface of the electrolyte andatmospheric air, which oxidation it is desirable to obviate.

The chief objectsv of the present invention are, first, to provide meanswhereby the efficiency of apparatus having such electrodes can be verymaterially increased, and, secondly, to provide special means forpreventing atmospheric oxidation on that portion of the cathode of suchapparatus which is exposed to the air. This incomplete immersion of thecathode and its oxidationmay be prevented by simply making the troughlike vessel deep enough to contain sufiicient electrolyte to cover thecathode completely; but

that method is objectionable because it involves the presence of acomparatively large quantity of electrolyte which is not acted uponeffectively by the electrode surfaces.

In order to effect the complete immersion of the cathode in theelectrolyte and yet secure effective action of the electrode surfacesupon the electrolyte, I- extend the carbon anode upbeyond theheretofore-used semi cylindrical anode, so as to form an almostcompletely cylindrical anode concentric with the outer cylindricalsurface of the cathode and separated from it preferably by a narrowspace only. This arrangement may be carried out in a variety of ways,one of which I have shown by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section taken on the line XX of Fig. 2 of an electrolytic apparatus of the kind hereinbeforereferred to constructed in accordance with my present invention; andFig. 2. is a longitudinal sectional elevation of same, taken on the lineY Y of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, (0 represents the carbon anode, which is of almostcompletely cylindrical form except as to a longitudinal opening 7) atthe top.

0 represents conducting-plates which lead the electric current to theanode a.

d is a layer of conducting water-tight material interposed between theconducting-plate 0 and the anode a and which may be employed ornot,according to circumstances, as will be hereinafter explained.

e is the revolving cathode. f is the space between the anode a and thecathode 6 containing the electrolyte to be treated, and g is thetrough-like vessel containing the abovementioned parts.

I have found it convenient to construct the apparatus in two parts, eachof which corresponds approximately to one of the semicylindrical orsegmental trough-like chambers of the known apparatus above referred to.These two approximately semicylindrical or segmental parts are placed injuxtaposition on their sides, as shown in Fig. 1, and held together, bymeans of boltsz' or otherwise, so as to joint them liquid-tight at theirlower edges h. The upper adjacent edges jof the two parts are soarranged that a more or less continuous opening Z) is left from end toend for the escape of the hydrogen and other gases generated during theelectrolytic action. The metallic conductors c are connected in anysuitable manner with the dynamo or other source of electricity. Thelower edges h of the two parts may be jointed together direct and thejoint made water-tight by means of a suitable cement such as one madewith carbon mixed with mineral oil, for example, or otherwater-repellent substance -or there may be interposed between the saidedges h an abutment of wood or other suitable material 70, against whichthe edges h are jointed with such cement, the parts being in either casepressed together by the lower screw-bolts z'. The upper ends of the twosegments of carbon a, forming the anode, are supported (so that theycannot fall in onto the cathode) by means of abutment-pieces l,

secured to the framework of the trough-like vessel, and in some casescross-barssuch as those shown by dotted lines at m, for example-may beplaced at intervals across the opening I) for the same purpose. The endsof the more or less completely cylindrical anode a must be connectedwater-tight to the ends it of the trough-like vessel, and this may beeffected by making the joints with cement, such as that above described,and drawing the surfaces together by means of the screwbolts p.

The revolving cathode (2 may be made as usual or in any suitable way.Its metallic axis (1 must of course be passed through a stufling-box inthe end at of the trough-like vessel to prevent the escape past it ofthe electrolyte, and the electrical connection with the cathode may beeffected through the said axis by means of sleeves, brushes, springs, orotherwise, as may be convenient.

It will be understood that the trough-like vessels containing the anodesa, conductors 0, and when such are employed the interposed layers ofconducting water-tight material cl may be constructed in any suitableway. In the example shown in the drawings they are composed of narrowbattens g, secured to strong framesr and segmental bracket-pieces s,placed at intervals along the length of the vessel, and of end pieces a,secured to the battens g by bolts 19. It will be obvious that when it isrequired to place the cathode e in the anode or to remove ,it therefromthe two parts of theapparatus must be separated by withdrawing the bolts2'. It will also be understood that the layer of conductive watertightmaterial d between the anode a and the conductor a may-be employed ornot, according to circumstances; but I generally prefer to employ it,partly to effect a more complete electric connection between theopposing surfaces of the conductor and anode than can be effected by thedirect contact of the comparatively smooth surface of the sheet-metalconductor with the rough surface of the back of the anode, partly toallow of the unequal expansion and contraction of the metal conductorand the carbon anode, and partly to prevent any electrolyte that maypercolate through the carbon anode reaching and attacking the saidconductor. The said conductive water-tight material is composed offinelydivided carbon or other suitable conductive material combined witha suitable water-resisting material, preferably a non-oxidizable oil;but in order to prevent as much as possible the passage of electrolytethrough the carbon or through the cement joints by which the-slabs orbricks of carbon composing the anode are joined together I prefer tosaturate the said carbon and jointing cement with oil or other suitablewater-resisting material, whereby the said carbon and jointing cementare made more or less impermeable to the electrolyte. By the inventionabove described the cathode e, being almost completely surrounded andinclosed by the anode, can be completely immersed in the electrolyte andatmospheric oxidation thereof be thereby avoided, an equality ofresistance through all parts of the electrolyte is maintained, thethickness of the electrolyte being practically equal at all points ofthe circumference of the rotating cathode, the area of the poles orelectrodes in action is largely increased as compared with thatobtainable in the semicylindrical arrangement of anode heretofore inuse, and therefore the electrolytic efiect or output produceable on agiven floor-space is proportionally increased. The gases produced by theelectrolytic action may, if desired, be readily recovered through anysuitable arrangement of duct placedover the opening or openings 6.

The above description of the invention relates to its application to anapparatus in.

which the anode is stationary and of troughlike shape and the cathoderotating and of cylindrical shape; but it is obvious the invention isequally applicable to apparatus in which the cathode is stationary andof trough-like shape and the anode rotating and of cylindrical shape.

I claim In an electrolytic apparatus of the kind in which a trough-likevessel is lined with carbon which forms the anode, the improved anodewhich consists of cylindrical segments of carbon a, cylindrical segmentsof sheetmetal conductors 0 and cylindrical segments of conductingwater-tight material 0Z, separate trough-like vessels 9 supporting saidsegments, frames 7, s, supporting said vessels, and screw-bolts 11holding the parts together, the said segments forming a hollowcylindrical anode the two parts of which can be separated from oneanother to enable the cylindrical cathode to be placed in or'removedfrom the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

GEORGE JONES ATKINS.

Witnesses:

R. WESTAGOTT, STEPHEN EDWARD GUNYoN.

